Council tax challenge

dannim12345

Hi, 

Anybody challenged their Council tax band in similar circumstances? 

Small road with all 1930’s properties, each side is different styles.  Everyone on my side is band D, but I am E.  Two on the other side are E but look bigger but not been sold since the late 1990’s so no photos online. But using the sold price from then they are on the correct band. 

My house was extended in 1996 so unlikely was much different from others on this side of the street prior…? But I do not know for sure.  But I can only find the last sold price online (2018) which is after the loft conversion was complete so if I put that in the calculator the band is correct. 

Any ideas? 

lincroft1710

As your home was last sold in 2018 then its CT band should reflect its physical state at that date. So any alterations, extensions or improvements carried out before that date can be included when ascertaining the CT band.

dannim12345

Thanks but not 100% sure what you mean (sorry if being silly), other houses on my side of the street have extension but are a lower band. I thought it was the house value is 1991?  Which is prior to it having an extension. 

lincroft1710

It is based on what a house would have been worth as at 1 April 1991 if it had existed in its current condition at that date. Any alterations carried out by the current owner after 1 April 1993 cannot be reflected in the CT band, so if any alterations were carried out to the Band D houses by the current owners, these cannot be reflected by the current owners.


Examples.

House extended 2001 subsequently sold 2014, 2001 extension can be reflected in CT band


House extended 2001, no subsequent sale, 2001 extension cannot be reflected in CT band

macman

The uplift in Band occurs at the next sale: in the interim an improvement indicator is added to show that the banding has been reassessed.

pozzyxtra

I attempted a council tax challenge in 2017 when I moved to my current property. I found the "evidence" and facts demanded pretty much impossible to supply. My home is the only bungalow in a lane of larger properties, I am rated band G . My home was built 1983 and not sold till 2010. Records for prices at 1991 are not available (unless on Nationwide calculator which is not accepted by VO). My home, a Swedish kit house, was judged against  random bungalows in the village as being the same size/age. Size details exclude hallways/bathrooms, you cannot asses that as a layman, the VO has far more access to details than a home owner.Nothing in the area is the same as my house, I am lumbered with a band as high as the largest homes in the village. Anyone who manages to appeal successfully is extremely lucky. The system honestly seems to be designed to make it almost impossible to succeed .

MalMonroe

Hi, there's quite a lot of info in the following link, written by Martin and updated on 21.3.23.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/

Martin was talking about challenging council tax bands on his programme on ITV on Tuesday (21 March) in case you can watch that on catch-up. Perhaps it's worth another challenge - I see you've done that before - and also ask for a full and proper explanation. 

If they say that you're definitely in the correct band at least you'll know you've done all you can to clarify that.

Edit : Just noticed that this was an old post from December but hope the info is of some help all the same? Might be things you already know though so please ignore if that's the case.

lincroft1710

MalMonroe said:

 Perhaps it's worth another challenge - I see you've done that before - and also ask for a full and proper explanation. 

Unless @pozzyxtra can bring new evidence to the table, it is extremely doubtful the VOA would further review the band.

pozzyxtra

thanks for replies, my problem is the impossibility of providing the "evidence" in my case. I was taken aback when I moved in by the ratings of neigbours, some larger but on a lower band, some just bigger and on the same band (not necessarily extended properties), and by the reply from VO that they were not comparable because they were not bungalows!! You can't win if in a village of widely different homes.

lincroft1710

pozzyxtra said:

thanks for replies, my problem is the impossibility of providing the "evidence" in my case. I was taken aback when I moved in by the ratings of neigbours, some larger but on a lower band, some just bigger and on the same band (not necessarily extended properties), and by the reply from VO that they were not comparable because they were not bungalows!! You can't win if in a village of widely different homes.

There is little point in comparing bungalows with houses, bungalows will almost always be worth more than a 2 or more storey dwelling of equal overall size. To pick up on earlier point the VOA are unlikely to give "a full and proper explanation" as to why you're in the band you are in. It wouldn't hurt to look at similar bungalows in other nearby villages